2000
#133,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Ostgaard
A Norwegian surname meaning "eastern farm" or "eastern farmstead".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Ostgaard. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ostgaard surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Ostgaard in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ostgaard, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.2%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ostgaard
The surname Ostgaard originates from Norway, with its earliest known recordings dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old Norse words "austr" meaning "east" and "gardr" meaning "farm" or "enclosure." This suggests that the name likely referred to an individual or family residing on an eastern-facing farmstead or settlement.
During the Viking Age, Norwegians began expanding their settlements and trading routes across various regions of Europe, including the British Isles. While no specific historical references to the name Ostgaard have been found in influential manuscripts like the Domesday Book, it is plausible that individuals bearing this surname may have migrated to other parts of Scandinavia or even further afield during this period.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ostgaard can be found in the Norwegian Census of 1665, where a farmer named Olav Ostgaard was listed as residing in the municipality of Trondheim. Another notable early bearer of the name was Bjørn Ostgaard, a Norwegian sea captain born in 1712, who gained fame for his successful trading voyages to the West Indies.
In the 19th century, the name Ostgaard became more widespread, with several notable individuals bearing this surname. Hans Ostgaard (1835-1912) was a prominent Norwegian architect responsible for designing several iconic buildings in Oslo, including the Norwegian National Theater. Edvard Ostgaard (1867-1942) was a respected Norwegian artist known for his landscape paintings depicting the rugged beauty of the Norwegian countryside.
Continuing into the 20th century, the name Ostgaard remained prevalent in Norway and among Norwegian diaspora communities around the world. Rolf Ostgaard (1915-2005) was a celebrated Norwegian journalist and author who chronicled the events of World War II and the German occupation of Norway. Gro Ostgaard (1941-2019) was a respected Norwegian-American professor of literature and an expert on the works of Henrik Ibsen.
While the surname Ostgaard has its roots firmly planted in Norway, it has since spread to various parts of the world due to migration and cultural exchange. The name continues to be associated with its Norwegian heritage and the historical significance of its geographical and linguistic origins.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ostgaard
Among Census respondents with the surname Ostgaard, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.2%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Ostgaard bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Ostgaard surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.2% · 103
- Two or more races6.2% · 7
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ostgaard
Ostgaard appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#120,901
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 143
+26 bearers (+22.2%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 12,213 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-30 bearers (-21.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 26,320 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #133,114 | 117 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #120,901 | 143 | 0.05 | +26 bearers (+22.2%) | Up 12,213 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | -30 bearers (-21.0%) | Down 26,320 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Ostgaard surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #120,901 | #147,221 | -21.8% |
| Count | 143 | 113 | -21.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -24.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ostgaard bearers went from 143 to 113 (-21.0% change). The surname moved down 26,320 positions in the national ranking, going from #120,901 to #147,221.
FAQ
Ostgaard surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ostgaard?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Ostgaard. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Ostgaard?
Ostgaard ranks #147,221 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 113 people with the surname Ostgaard. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Ostgaard.
Has Ostgaard become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ostgaard went from 143 recorded bearers to 113. That is a decrease of 30 (-21.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #120,901 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Ostgaard?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ostgaard, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.2%) and Hispanic (2.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Ostgaard in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.2% (103 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ostgaard appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.2%), Two or More Races (6.2%), Hispanic (2.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Ostgaard (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Ostgaard mean?
A Norwegian surname meaning "eastern farm" or "eastern farmstead". The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Ostgaard (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Ostgaard?
You can see how many people are called Ostgaard on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.